When Science and Spirit Work Together, Recovery Goes Deeper
For many people in recovery, even with sufficient clinical therapies, therapists, medications, and individual or group sessions, they still have the feeling that something important is missing from their recovery process.
That missing piece for many has been the spiritual component, which is usually defined as finding meaning beyond simply being sober and connection with a higher power or purpose. The spiritual aspect of recovery has historically been a foundational part of the process, and with the emergence of new research, the healing power of spirituality is now solidified as a scientific fact. Spirituality is not separate from healing but a critical part of it.
Addiction recovery requires more than just changing behavior.
Recovery requires rebuilding one’s identity, repairing relationships with loved ones, creating a new purpose in life, and restoring hope for the future. These concepts are not clinical in nature; they are human, and for many, they are addressed through faith.
Anybody who has ever attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting knows that the connection between faith and addiction recovery has a long history. However, it may be surprising to find that even in modern medical practice, faith and religion are commonly cited as indispensable in helping those suffering from drug addiction and alcoholism. In fact, a 2019 Journal of Religion and Health study found that “73% of addiction treatment programs in the USA include a spirituality-based element.”[1] The same journal also notes that, among the massive volume of scientific studies investigating the topic, 84% find that faith is a positive factor in both addiction prevention and recovery.
Faith in recovery is not meant to diminish the nature of evidence-based addiction treatment. The most successful faith-based recovery programs don’t use faith in place of clinical care; they integrate it with evidence-based treatment. Faith-based activities connect to the person in a way that clarifies what they believe and what is important to them, which in turn creates a transformation that may not be achieved through behavioral health interventions alone.
When a personal reckoning occurs within a structured recovery community of clinically trained experts and individuals with a deep spiritual understanding of recovery, the result is a level of transformative change that typically produces a longer-lasting, more positive outcome. The transformed person will develop a stronger level of connectedness to their recovery and a greater desire to protect what they have found.
One common finding through research on spirituality and addiction recovery is that as a person’s spirituality increases during recovery, the likelihood of relapse decreases.[2] Those who have higher levels of engagement with spirituality during their recovery have a decreased likelihood of returning to substance use than those who do not. This protective relationship holds true whether or not the individual considers themselves a religious person — whether someone identifies with a specific religious belief system or simply identifies with spirituality, they will significantly decrease their chances of relapse as they engage more consistently with spirituality throughout recovery.
The protective mechanisms of spirituality include the creation of tools to combat cravings and stress, accountability through community support, and the establishment of self-worth through purpose and commitment to sobriety, all of which are important to lowering the chances of relapse.
The benefit of integrating spirituality into recovery, as opposed to relying solely on a clinical-based model, has been documented in a number of studies. One of the most referenced relates to the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous — the 12-step program founded on the concept of connecting with and surrendering to a higher power. Research on AA indicates that frequent meeting attendance combined with high levels of spiritual engagement produces greater levels of lasting sobriety than attendance alone.[3] It is not only the social outlet of AA or the structure of accountability that results in sustained sobriety, it is the active spiritual component that provides the foundation.
The relationship between spirituality and mental health is well established. Spirituality helps to reduce the incidence of depression and anxiety and improves well-being through increasing emotional resilience, benefits that are directly relevant to addiction recovery, where mental health conditions are common and often drive relapse.[4] Those with high levels of engagement with spirituality have lower rates of major depression, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders than those who do not. For many recovering individuals who have dealt with trauma, loss, and prolonged mental health issues, spirituality is not simply an additional avenue for relief; it is essential to their clinical recovery.
One of the most significant aspects of addiction is the loss of identity that occurs when someone is deep in their substance use. An addict’s sense of self becomes consumed by their need to use, and everything revolves around it. In order to recover from an addiction, a person must rebuild their sense of self.
Faith provides a solid framework for that rebuilding. Through a relationship with God or a higher power, connection with scripture and spiritual teachers, and involvement in a faith community, a person in recovery will find a new narrative for who they are and who they can be, independent of their past. For most people in recovery, this new identity is often the most meaningful aspect of having faith: not just as a motivation for sobriety, but as a reason for living.
Faith communities can provide a sense of belonging that extends far beyond clinical treatment. Churches, 12-step meetings, and other faith-based support groups provide lasting connections, mutual accountability, and shared purpose to assist people in their continued recovery after treatment is over.
Research on social support during recovery consistently identifies community as one of the biggest protective factors against relapse.[5] Faith communities provide that connection in a uniquely powerful way, bonded by shared values and an understanding of a higher power that is greater than any single member of the group.
For those who have burned bridges with family and friends due to their addiction, faith-based support communities often become the primary support network in early recovery, providing a sense of value, freedom from judgment, and an opportunity to recover without the shame of the past.
Cravings and stress are two of the most common relapse triggers, and developing effective strategies for coping with both is a cornerstone of recovery.[6] Faith can provide one of the most extensive resources for developing coping techniques in these areas. Strategies such as reading scripture, prayer, meditation, community support, and surrender produce results that can be difficult to match through cognitive or behavioral methods alone.
Research on the effectiveness of spiritual practices for coping with cravings and stress shows that individuals who incorporate spiritual practices into their lives experience less distress, greater control, and better long-term recovery results than individuals who do not.[7] The strength of faith in these instances lies in the ability to reframe experiences, not only as physiological and emotional stressors, but as spiritual events to be approached with the help of God or a higher power.
The body of research that supports faith-based recovery continues to grow. Significant findings from this body of work include the following:
These results do not indicate that faith replaces clinical treatment of addiction; rather, these findings indicate that for the many individuals who find personal meaning in faith, the integration of their faith into the treatment of their addiction enhances the clinical treatment that they receive.
At All In Solutions, we recognize that long-term recovery sometimes requires more than evidence-based treatment alone. Recovery is often a profound transformation in a person’s life. With this purpose in mind, we created a comprehensive recovery service that integrates faith-based and clinical services to help our clients achieve that transformation.
Many people in recovery have been conditioned to believe that spirituality is separate from their recovery or that recovery is based solely on abstaining from alcohol and drugs. The truth is that recovery is possible for every person regardless of their religious beliefs.
Whether you are deeply rooted in a specific faith, exploring spirituality for the first time, or simply open to the possibility that there is something more to recovery than behavioral change, our team is ready to meet you where you are. We take the spiritual dimension of recovery seriously because our clients do.
It is possible. Studies show that spiritual practices during the recovery process have been linked to lower rates of relapse, better mental health outcomes, longer periods of sobriety, and a higher overall quality of life.[11] Study data from different settings and demographics have shown that integrating spirituality into the treatment of addiction is a clinically proven effective means of achieving success.
No. The benefits associated with spirituality in recovery are not limited to people who identify as religious. Research indicates that people who identify as spiritual but not religious experience the same benefits as those who identify as religious. Openness to the idea of a higher power — however that may be defined — will provide you with the meaning, community support, and coping resources that can be found through spiritual engagement.
Integrating spirituality into the recovery process is best achieved through combining clinical and faith-based services. All In Solutions offers a comprehensive recovery treatment plan that integrates spiritual services with evidence-based therapies including individual therapy, group therapy, CBT, and DBT. The spiritual component provides meaning, relationship, and a sense of community, while the clinical component addresses the psychological and behavioral dimensions of addiction.
For many people in recovery, the concept of a higher power — whether that is God, a spiritual force, or something larger than the individual — serves as an anchor for sobriety rather than a personal desire alone. It changes the recovery process from individual effort to relationship and surrender. Research shows that recovery developed through the process of surrendering to a higher power is longer lasting and more meaningful than recovery developed solely through self-will.
[1] Grim, B. J., & Grim, M. E. (2019). Belief, Behavior, and Belonging: How Faith is Indispensable in Preventing and Recovering from Substance Abuse. Journal of religion and health, 58(5), 1713–1750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00876-w
[2] [7] [8] [9] [11] Kelly, J. F., Stout, R. L., Magill, M., Tonigan, J. S., & Pagano, M. E. (2011). Spirituality in recovery: A lagged mediational analysis of Alcoholics Anonymous’ principal theoretical mechanism of behavior change. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 35(3), 454–463. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01362.x
[3] Tonigan, J. S., Rynes, K. N., & McCrady, B. S. (2013). Spirituality as a change mechanism in 12-step programs: A replication, extension, and refinement. Substance Use & Misuse, 48(12), 1161–1173. https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4768745
[4] Bonelli, R. M., & Koenig, H. G. (2013). Mental disorders, religion and spirituality 1990 to 2010: A systematic evidence-based review. Journal of Religion and Health, 52(2), 657–673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-013-9691-4
[5] Kelly, J. F., Stout, R. L., Greene, M. C., & Slaymaker, V. (2014). Young adults, social networks, and addiction recovery: Post treatment changes in social ties and their role as a mediator of 12-step participation. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e100121. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100121
[6] Sinha, R. (2011). New findings on biological factors predicting addiction relapse vulnerability. Current Psychiatry Reports, 13(5), 398–405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-011-0224-0
[10] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). SAMHSA’s working definition of recovery: 10 guiding principles of recovery. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep12-recdef.pdf
